The essence of the system of the present invention rests with descent down a cable or rope, and although descent systems utilizing cables or ropes are known, such require some degree of training and experience in controlling the rate of descent, and thus are not suitable for escape or rescue operations when, not only are the persons involved inexperienced, but are also in a severely stressful situation, involving a degree of panic and fear generated by the danger to which they are subjected, in the case, for example of the fire in a high rise building, coupled with the necessity to escape from a particularly high location which in itself presents its own fears. In addition, in cases where the persons concerned are injured or even unconscious or semi-conscious, and therefore not in a position to control the rate of descent, then they are totally reliant on the system to lower them to the ground and also control their rate of descent.
Other systems which have been proposed include the use of flexible chutes, but such systems have their limitations with regard to the height over which they can operate and other difficulties particularly with escape from high rise buildings where fires at lower levels within the building, not only involve the existence of flames, but also the creation of unstable conditions adjacent the faces of the building as a result of updrafts of hot air.